Our Forgotten Allies (Poland)

New York Post ^ | 22 December 2003 | Ralph Peters

[SAMWolf]

"They do much, actually their best to lose their true and faithful friends".

Unfortunately, this is too true sometimes. But even though our government has it's head up it's butt when it comes to who our real friends are sometimes, most of us know.

[SAMWolf]

Why does that article bring to mind the words

"Into the Valley of Death rode the six hundred"?

Interesting, though how Cavalry dominated the battlefield for so long.

[Lando Lincoln]

Thank you Matthew for the wonderful insight.

Lando

[gipper81]

Merry Christmas, Matthew Paul! (I could be a relative our yours).

[ThePointer]

As a result, when the Nazi Panzers surged into Poland, the Polish military was forced to send lancers to face one tank column. Needless to say they were massacred, but they did not turn back.

This is a myth, it never happend. But it's a nice story to tell the little Polish kids :)

[Nestor]

I'm from Poland - exactly from Warsaw. I'm retired reserve Army officer. It's my first post here, so hello to all members! Yes, it's myth about Polish cavalry charge at German tanks. There was a movie in such scene, but it's some kind of metaphor - you know, we were nearly helpless against the Germans. BTW there was a successful charge by Polish cavalry in 1939 - but they attacked motorized infantry. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year friends.

[Testep]

There exists the myth that in the 1939 war against Nazi Germany Polish lancers charged German tanks. This myth was fabricated by German propaganda and later maintained by Communist propaganda. In reality Polish lancers at those times were armed in guns (also machine-guns) and they used their horses mainly for transportation only. By the way, very good medium of transportation at wooded country without good roads. They could also charge enemy’s infantry (but not tanks!) and they did this very effectively during the campaign. Germans deadly feared such charges.
On the other hand it is true that Western allies of my country did little to help it to prepare for defense against Nazi Germany and Communist Russia. Soon it turned out that it was against their own interests.